CLA, a West Coast contract packaging concentrated on the cosmetics industry, became a Unilever asset following the Anglo-Dutch company’s 2011 acquisition of Alberto Culver.
Seven months on, Visual Pak has become the beneficiary, acquiring the cosmetics packaging specialists in a move to enhance both its product offering and its geographic footprint to better serve new and existing customers.
"At a time when many of our competitors are struggling or looking to downsize, we are aggressively looking to grow both organically and through acquisitions to strengthen our company," said Clayton Bolke, CEO of Visual Pak.
Strategic expansion
The acquisition of CLA will strategically expand Visual Pak’s liquid packaging service offering to both current and prospective customers across the US, according to the company.
In addition the aim is to become the leading liquid and secondary contract packaging company focusing on quality and customer satisfaction.
Providing contract manufacturing service to its customers, CLA will work closely with three other Visual Pak blending and filling plant locations in Illinois, conducting business under the name American Blending and Filling.
“This is a synergistic acquisition that will benefit both companies' growth plans," said Oscar Saldarriaga, general manager of CLA who will join Visual Pak in the same role.
"Combining Visual Pak's vertically integrated packaging service offering with CLA's strengths in product development and custom packaging will have an immediate and long term benefit to customer's growth plans. We are also excited that CLA's employees will become part of The Visual Pak Companies team."